She's Worth Dying For
by LastChancetoBreathe
Summary: I couldn't let my sister die. Too many people needed her, loved her. She was the hope of Narnia-a valiant, magnificent, gentle, just queen. Prince Caspian movie-verse.


Disclaimer: I do not own _The Chronicles of Narnia_, the movie _Prince Caspian_, or any of C.S Lewis's characters, if I did-the books would surely not have been as well written. :)

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My heart pounded fast as we tore across the fields towards the woods. My sister clung tightly to my waist as I steered us away from the two armies that were currently at a standstill.

_Peter_. My gut tightened uncomfortably as I thought about my brave brother going against such a ruthless man. _What if I never see him again? What if he dies and Narnia is overrun by Telmarines?_

I must have made some kind of noise, because Lucy stiffened against me. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I responded shortly. "False alarm."

"Right," she said in a tone that clearly stated she didn't believe me. Her voice grew serious. "Thinking about Peter?"

I should have known that she would guess my thoughts. After all, she was much older than her seemingly thirteen years and she knew me better than I cared to admit. My hands tightened on the reins. "Yes."

"Me too," she whispered. I couldn't see her face because of her position on the horse, but I knew what expression she was wearing: a deep frown and troubled eyes, while her teeth worried her bottom lip. She wasn't the only one who had gotten to know her siblings well.

"He'll be fine." I reassured with much more confidence than I felt.

"Will he?" Lucy sat up a bit so I could see her face out of my peripheral vision. "He's been pretty hard-headed these past few days."

"He's just struggling with his position in _this_ Narnia. He doesn't know how to act....but I think he does now. You talked to him, didn't you?" I knew if anyone could bring Peter out of his brooding, it would be Lucy.

She smiled. "Yes, I think his heart's in the right place. He is trusting in Aslan again. But that doesn't mean I don't still worry about his physical well-being."

"But you can fix that too, can't you?"

"Hmmm.....maybe." She rested her cheek against my back and allowed silence to fall between us.

_Lucy can fix everything_, I thought as I gave my sister's arm a fond squeeze. It was almost a point of jealousy for me-the way she handled everything with so much maturity and steadfastness, trusting in Aslan even when everyone else gave up. Peter wasn't the only magnificent one in this family.

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"You think you're too good for us, don't you, Pevensie?"

I heard the jeers before I saw who was making them. Since this was an all-girls boarding school and they weren't making fun of me, that only left one Pevensie open to mocking: Lucy.

I hurried around the corner of the building blocking my view to see what was going on.

Lucy was cornered against one of the walls of the cafeteria, surrounded by three girls who had at least three inches on her in height and maybe a couple of years on her in age. My sister patiently took their taunts and only hugged her school books tighter to her chest when something really bothered her.

A girl with limp brown hair tied in low pigtails reached out and shoved her prey harder against the wall. "You think we're all dumb compared to you, huh?"

"I never said that," Lucy responded quietly. Her gaze never left the ground.

The girl snorted. "So you just make it a point to show us all up in the classroom?"

"I just answered the teacher's question- I wasn't showing off."

"You know what? Why don't I _show_ you how to keep your trap shut when the teacher asks a question?" The girls closed rank and that's when I had had enough.

"What's going on here?" I demanded.

The girls jumped and whirled around. To my surprise, one of the girls was a good friend of mine-Sarah Witherspoon. Her eyes grew impossibly large when she saw me.

"W-We were just...." The girl with pigtails stuttered.

"I know what you were _just_ going to do and-" A small hand on my arm prevented me from speaking my mind. I glanced down.

Lucy beamed at me. "It's alright, Sue. They were just showing me how to take better notes in class." _Let it go_, her eyes pleaded.

I sighed. Lucy was far too forgiving for her own good.

"Yeah, what the kid said. We'll see you around!" The pig-tailed girl and the other girl who had not spoken a word ran away-leaving me, Sarah, and Lucy alone.

Lucy glanced at the clock that hung above the entrance to the cafeteria. Her expression registered surprise. "Oh! I have to go! My next class starts in five minutes!" She darted off towards one of the main halls, calling over her shoulder, "See you at lunch, Sue!"

I smiled faintly as I watched her go. I had almost forgotten there was someone else with me until Sarah cleared her throat. My gaze shifted to her.

She crossed her arms uncomfortably. "Listen, Susan, I'm sorry. I know what really happened and I'm sure you know what really happened and I....I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright," I assured.

She stared in the direction that my sister had gone. "Why did she....why did she do that for us?"

I put my hand on her shoulder, grinning wryly. "I've asked myself that question several times and I've just come to accept that it's just who she is."

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"Susan!"

Lucy's cry jerked me out of my thoughts just in time for me to steer Destier out of the way of a ditch. The horse snorted, its' pace slowing until it had adjusted itself to its' new course.

"Sorry," I breathed.

Lucy patted my arm. "Just....don't do that again."

I steered the horse to a somewhat level space of ground, pleasantly surprised when the horse obeyed my commands without much urging.

"I think you scared her, Sue." My sister giggled. "She's beginning to doubt that you're really called the _Gentle Queen_."

I laughed. "I think she's right. You should be called Gentle and Valiant and I'll settle for Ill-tempered and Impatient."

"You are not!" She protested. "You deserve your _real_ title."

_But so do you_, I couldn't help but think.

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The battlefield let off the stench of blood and death. So much violence and gore reminded me of the reason I didn't accompany my siblings on too many battle excursions.

I wrinkled my nose and gingerly stepped over a dead hag. Her open, unseeing eyes still held an evil gleam that made me shudder. I quickly moved on, scanning the field superficially for survivors.

Lucy was up ahead, doing a much more thorough job. She stopped at every single body and examined them closely before determining they were dead. How she could stand it, I haven't the faintest idea.

"Oh Susan! Over here! Come quick!" She cried as she darted over to some trees that bordered the field. She disappeared into the branches and I instantly picked up my pace to join her. Didn't she know that there could still be enemies lurking nearby?

_Of course she doesn't_, I answered my own question with a rueful shake of my head. _She takes care of others and I am left to take care of her_.

I entered the woods and discovered, to my relief, that she had not gone too deep into the trees. My rebuke that I had planned out so nicely fell flat on my lips when I saw her kneeling next to two badgers-one obviously dead.

Lucy had already taken out her cordial but the live badger shook its' head. A soft female voice spoke. "It's too late, my lady, he's gone."

My sister's face crumpled in distress. "Oh, if only I had gotten here sooner!"

The badger patted her hand. "It wouldn't have made any difference, my Queen. He died several hours ago-I just can't bring myself to leave him."

"He was your husband?" I questioned, feeling terrible for asking.

"Yes." The she-badger looked down at her spouse and kissed his limp paw. "We knew this day could come, and I thought I was prepared, but I....I guess no one is really prepared for the death of a loved one."

"What was his name?" Lucy brushed the soft fur around the dead badger's face.

"Kepel."

"My good badger," Lucy began, looking straight at the dead soldier. "You have served your country, you have kept your honor, upheld your vows, and sacrificed much. Rest in peace and may your soul speedily reach Aslan's country." She finished by bestowing a kiss on the animal's head. Her gaze shifted to his wife. "We will take care of you and recompense you for your loss. Please do not be anxious. Susan?"

"Yes?" I broke out of the stunned daze I had fallen into.

"Can you stay here while I get some soldiers to come and carry his body out of this place?"

"Of course."

She stood up and darted out of the trees, nearly tripping on the hem of her dress in her haste.

"She has a gentle, servant's heart." The she-badger commented.

"I know," I murmured.

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We were well into the forest, Destier seemed to be at ease now, galloping around logs or roots that would have caused us to stumble.

"We should get off this path," Lucy pointed to the trail that we were on that was gradually growing wider. "They'll track us better if they pick up our trail."

I gave a short nod and steered the reluctant horse a more heavily forested area. The ride became rough, but I knew that Lucy was right. If we were spotted, our pursuers would have a harder time following us.

My sister was wise. Oftentimes, her decisions were much more level-headed and just than even Edmund's were.

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I whimpered in fear as the blade bit deeper into my neck. About five yards away, I could see my horrified siblings' faces. The faun holding me captive was trembling just as much as I was, which caused the knife to draw forth a line of blood.

It was supposed to be a peaceful outing. The four of us wanted to go for a picnic without the usual guard. Oreius refused to let us go completely without protection, so he assigned us a couple of fauns. One of those fauns turned out to be a traitor with a twisted sense of loyalty to the White Witch. He had come up beside me and put a knife to my throat before any of us realized what was happening.

Peter clutched the hunting dagger at his side, his face stony. I could tell he was waiting for an opportunity to throw it without hurting me. Edmund shifted his weight back and forth impatiently, wanting to attack but constrained by the threat that it posed to me. Lucy stood with her hands by her sides. Her lips were pursed, head tilted slightly as if she were examining my captor. And our other two guards stood nearby, horrified that they had allowed their Queen to be put in danger.

"Justice must be served!" The faun behind me shouted. I flinched as his spittle landed on my cheek. A tremor ran through him as his other hand tightened around my waist. "Your sister must die! All of you must die! The true Queen of Narnia must be avenged!"

Edmund took a step forward, furious. "_True queen_?! She-"

Lucy put her hand on his arm. He glanced at her curiously, but she offered no explanation. All of her attention was focused on the faun threatening me. "You don't want to kill Susan, do you, Melus?"

The faun gave a start when he heard his name. Apparently he hadn't thought that any of us knew his name-I certainly didn't. "Wh-Why shouldn't I? She stole the throne along with the rest of you!"

Lucy smiled. "You know, in order to steal something, you usually have to _want_ it in the first place. Trust me, I didn't plan on becoming a queen. The idea is still surreal to me. We didn't steal the throne, we were _given_ the throne. It is by Aslan's will alone that we now wear our crowns. The Witch was the true thief-she took Narnia by force. Those who gain the crown by ill-gotten means are bound to lose it. She went against Aslan's will. Do you truly desire to get revenge for a deceased Witch who stole the crown and tried to murder the great Lion?"

"I-I-I" Melus couldn't get a straight answer out. His trembling increased and I was careful to take shallow breaths, lest I cut my own throat.

My sister pressed on. "You have not yet committed a crime for which you cannot be pardoned by both us and Aslan. But if you kill Queen Susan, you will most assuredly be put to death."

"Y-You won't k-kill me....if I let her g-go?" His grip on my waist loosened just a bit.

Lucy smiled warmly. "No, we will not harm you."

Melus hesitated, looking from my sister to Peter and Edmund, who were trying to look less intimidating. Then, slowly, cautiously, he moved the knife away from my neck and let me go. Peter and Edmund rushed to me and I fell into their arms, breathing harshly.

"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

We turned at Lucy's cheerful voice. She was kneeling beside the faun, who had collapsed in a fit of tears. The other fauns had confiscated his weapons and were watching the scene with distrust in their eyes.

Lucy paid them no heed, but offered her handkerchief to Melus. "There, there, don't cry. It's all over now."

The faun blew harshly into the proffered cloth and then pulled my sister into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"

"It's okay, I forgive you."

Peter chuckled. "How blessed we are to have her."

Edmund nodded.

_Thank you, Aslan, for giving me my dear little sister_, I prayed as my eyes stung with tears.

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"They've seen us!" Lucy's voice was tight with fear.

I glanced to the left where I could see a few horsemen plunging down the hillside in pursuit of us. I leaned low over Destier, urging her to go faster. Lucy clung tightly to me, her fingers pressing into my stomach.

We'd barely gone a few spans when I realized we would never make it. The horsemen were already closing in on us. We would be caught and killed.

I couldn't let that happen. Aslan had to be found-and Lucy was best suited to the task.

But just as important, I couldn't let my sister die. Too many people needed her, loved her. She was the hope of Narnia-a valiant, magnificent, gentle, just queen.

I knew what I had to do. Though it terrified me, I knew it would be worth it.

I jerked on the reins and Destier stumbled to a halt.

"What are you doing?!" Lucy cried as I pried myself free of her grasp and slid to the ground.

I looked back towards the woods where I could see our pursuers galloping towards us. I patted her leg, giving her the reins. "I'm sorry, Lu. It looks like you'll be going alone after all."

A protest rose on her lips, but I slapped the horse's flank before she could voice her disagreement. The animal trotted forward a few yards.

I un-slung my bow and drew out an arrow. As I placed the arrow on the string, I paused to see if my sister had gotten away.

She had stopped on the hillside. Our eyes met-hers sad and worried, mine determined and resolute. She knew she could not convince me to change my mind and, with one last, tearful glance, she urged Destier to continue on.

_Aslan, protect her_, I thought as I pulled back on the bowstring, securing the arrow on it. The weapon was strong and I knew my aim would not fail me. Even if it did, my death would not be in vain-for Lucy would live.

_And she's worth dying for_.

I brought up my bow, took aim, and let the arrow fly.

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Destier is the only name I could find for the horse, so if that is incorrect, forgive me. I hope you enjoyed this story and thank you for reading!


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